The contact lens blog. Insights about fitting, technology, and the business of contact lenses.

Looking for one of the easiest and most effective solutions for your emerging presbyopes? Look no further than Proclear EP.

Why fit your patients in Proclear EP? Millions of Americans are turning 40 in the next few years, meaning the market for potential multifocal contact lens-wearing patients is increasing drastically. Proclear EP is the first and only lens designed specifically for emerging presbyopes, providing a perfect way to transition your patients to multifocal contact lenses.

If you missed the first round of the Proclear EP Challenge – you’re in luck – we’ve extended the program until October 31st. Log In or Register to read more!

BMX phemon and CooperVision Teen Spokesperon Daniel Dhers credits contact lenses with improving his performance on the bike. "I've been wearing contacts for a few years and have noticed a big improvement in my riding. They help with my periphery, and if I fall during a ride I don't have to worry about them falling off or breaking."

Get an exclusive 360° view from the Dew Tour through the eyes of BMX phenom and CooperVision Teen Spokesperson Daniel Dhers:

Are you looking for back to school marketing and messaging assistance? We’ve crafted an email you can use to send to your patients and messages you can post to your facebook fan page to draw attention to the need for an annual eye exam.

Three years ago, we started the Adopt a Patient program to provide third and fourth year optometry students the opportunity for an additional hands-on fitting experience. The program also benefits prospective contact lens patients who are otherwise unable to afford contact lenses.

Each third year student in participating schools is encouraged to “adopt” a deserving patient into the program. The patient will be fit with CooperVision soft contact lenses and followed up with visits throughout the student’s clinic time at the school. The patient also receives a complimentary year’s supply of lenses from CooperVision (all lenses are available except for those with opaque or enhancing tints).

After a year, patients are eligible for re-adoption by a student from the next year’s class. The primary target audience for the Adopt a Patient program is teenage patients who demonstrate need for contact lenses and come from low income families. Older patients are not excluded from the program, but recruitment is up to the discretion of the clinic supervisor.

Launa Kind, the Adopt a Patient program office administrator at Pacific University agrees that the program is a win-win situation for all parties involved. “Most of our Adopt a Patient participants are kids and teenagers with high astigmatism or anisometropia, a condition that is preferably treated with contact lenses (versus spectacles). Without this program, they truly would not have been able to afford contact lenses. Our patients that have received lenses have been most thankful, and our students are gaining valuable, real-world experience.”

Wesley Crocket, current 4th year optometry student, had a great experience in the program last year. “I adopted a 9 year old boy with a large hyperopic astigmatic correction in his glasses. He was complaining that his lenses kept falling out of his frames and that they made his eyes look really big. He really wanted to wear contact lenses but his mother was unemployed at the time, and unable to pay for contacts. I advised him to practice touching his eye and keeping his hands clean. A few weeks later, he came back in and I fit him in Biofinity Toric lenses. He did great with them! When he returned a week later for his follow up appointment, it seemed as if his self esteem grew leaps and bounds. He talked about how everyone at school though it was ‘so cool’ that he was wearing contacts, and that his classmates couldn’t even tell that he had anything in his eye. I think for this young hyperopic kid, being able to wear contacts changed his life.”

Today, the program is operating in 6 optometry schools across the country, benefitting approximately 300 patients. If you’re an optometry student or professor and want to get your school involved in our Adopt a Patient program, please email me at mandre@coopervision.com.

Do you have a great contact lens story? We want to hear it! We are currently collecting testimonials for our website and marketing materials. Email us at blogadmin@coopervision.com, tell us your CooperVision contact lens story, and you may be featured in our upcoming campaigns.

Our heart goes out to the family and friends of the medical aid workers who recently lost their lives in Afghanistan. We respect and appreciate the vision and other health services the aid workers provided to many under served individuals. We admire the sacrifice and courage it takes to do what they did.

Have you ever wondered how hand-eye coordination really works? Or what kind of impact vision has on sports performance? Dr. Alan Glazier takes a closer look at these questions and more in the context of baseball:

So you want to hit better? Pete Rose was once asked how he hit so well. His answer: “See the ball, hit the ball”.

Obviously, vision plays a crucial role in one’s ability to hit, but what role it plays is not so obvious. Seeing an object clearly, and viewing an object traveling nearly 100 mph while being able to guess its position in a millisecond are two different things and involve very different skills. When viewing a baseball that is static, let’s say, sitting on a table top, the only “skill” needed to see it is visual acuity, or the ability of the eyes’ optics to focus the image properly. For viewing an object in motion, clarity is important as well, but tracking the object of regard is important, as is the brain’s ability to accurately process the tracking information.

For viewing and connecting a bat in motion with a ball in motion (1) the image of the object of regard (the ball) has to fall clearly on the back of the eye (2) the eye needs to successfully track the image (3) the brain uses the tracking information to project the future position in space (over the plate) that the ball is likely to end up (4) hand-eye motor coordination needs to time and place the swing of the bat to coincide with the tracking system projection of where the ball is headed (5) estimates need to be made of where the plate is in relationship to the pitch using peripheral vision cues (6) speed is estimated by the rate at which the image of the ball is transmitted across the retina and (7) depth perception information is used to adjust each of these calculations. Looking at things from this perspective, the act of hitting a ball, even a 40 mph pitch, seems visually statistically impossible, yet Major League batters connect with the ball often more than 2.5 times out of 10 on pitches exceeding 80 mph all the time!

The visual skills that are used to be a better hitter can be enhanced. The first step is to have a comprehensive eye exam including a binocular vision evaluation to make sure you have basic eye functions that will enable you to successfully track a ball. Next, as with any exercise, you can hone your visual skills through repetitive actions – get to the batting cages. The next step would be to find a developmental and/or sports vision specialist, usually an optometrist, who can engage you in certain visual tasks that train the visual abilities described in the previous paragraph. Many professional baseball players are involved in visual training programs. More information on hitting a baseball is available in my other post on hitting.

Heather O'Reilly, gold-medal winning soccer star and our teen contact lens spokesperson, recently sat down with Teen Vogue to answer their Q & A session. They talked soccer, nutrition, fitness, and style. When asked if she has any tips for Teen Vogue readers looking to stay in shape, Heather mentions the importance of keeping yourself motivated and also ensuring you have the right gear:

"I would definitely recommend trying new activities until you find something that you really enjoy. Then, make a goal sheet for yourself. I find that it really motivates me when I make small goals and then accomplish then. It could be 3 jogs per week. It could be 200 sit ups before bed. Stay disciplined, and it will give you confidence when you accomplish your goals. Also, make sure that you have the proper gear. I've teamed up with CooperVision and on the Contact Sports program to teach teens that healthy vision can help improve their sports performance. When I was a teen, I realized that I needed contact lenses. After wearing them, my game improved. Taking care of your general health, like nutrition and eye care can be very important to help you play your best. Teens can visit MyContactSports.com to apply for a "Gear Up Grant" until 9/30 for a chance at $2,500 towards essential sports gear, and even free CooperVision contacts."

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About On Eye

On Eye is the contact lens blog from CooperVision. On this site, you will find insights about fitting, technology, and the business of contact lenses. The On Eye blog is designed to meet the needs of both Eye Care Practitioners and consumers. ECP and medical professional-specific portions of the blog will be password protected in order to protect and reserve the privacy of the profession. To read more about our terms of use, please see the Legal tab.